It's not Abderrahmane Sissako's first time at the festival - far from it, in fact - but Timbuktu is the Malian director's first film in competition there, and it's also this year's first competition screener. And reactions couldn't be much more different to those from the official Cannes opener, yesterday's Grace of Monaco, as the film draws very respectful notices from critics. They cite the film's style and Sissako's smart visual storytelling, with cinematographer Sofian El Fani being singled out for praise in several reports. Also assisting in adding poignancy and potency to Timbuktu is its political relevance in a contemporary Africa beset by the horrors of Islamic fundamentalism. You won't find a single negative reaction among Geoff Andrew at Sight & Sound, Dan Fainaru at Screen International, Jessica Kiang at The Playlist, Guy Lodge at HitFix, Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian and Jay Weissberg at Variety.
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